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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

170 Ranked Colleges
3,621 Degrees Awarded
$34,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 205,726 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,621 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 170 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 50 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Yale University

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 38 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Harvard University

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Florida

Out of the 170 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 35 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#6

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 52 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470.

Read more about Social Sciences at Princeton University

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#5 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 48 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Stanford

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UW - Madison

#16 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 14 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UTSA are $25,807.

Read more about Social Sciences at UTSA

#11

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 50 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Social Sciences Report

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UIUC

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCSD is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - San Diego Social Sciences Report

With a ranking of #14, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at USF Tampa

#15

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Dallas are $28,610.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UT Dallas

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#18

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Rice University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Rice

Florida International University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211.

Full Florida International University Social Sciences Report

#20

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#25 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UCLA Social Sciences Report

#21

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UPenn

#22

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 9 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UCF

#6 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Read more about Social Sciences at Columbia

#24

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. TWU is located in Denton, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at TWU are $14,962.

Read more about Social Sciences at TWU

#25

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 30 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, University of Virginia is in the top on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia are $32,394, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Virginia

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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